Hello again. Last month we had a quick overview of the Carer Gateway and listed the supports that are available to you as a carer.
This month I would like to focus on Carer Support & Planning – a very important part to assisting carers to access the supports they need. All too often carers put their own needs secondary to those of the person they care for.
It is important that you as a carer prioritise your needs which in turn supports to continue in your caring role. The Carer Gateway has the needs of the carer as the main priority – all assistance that is provided through the Carer Gateway has the carer firmly at the heart of that support.
Carer Support & Planning is a process that has two main stages, the first is understanding the carers needs and secondly, support planning.
Through a guided conversation, our carer support and planning staff work with each carer to understand their individual priorities.
This conversation focuses on several key areas including: the carers health; the caring role; managing at home; how you are feeling; and how the caring role is impacting on your work / study / volunteering / social activities.
Once a carer’s priorities have been identified, our carer support and planning team provide short term support to carers to help them navigate, coordinate and access the right services.
Support is tailored to your needs – we can help you connect with services that support both your needs and well-being.
We will keep in touch regularly and work with you to ensure your needs are being met, the support is sustainable and to check in on your well-being.
For more information regarding the supports available to you as a carer Contact the Carer Gateway at www.carergateway.gov.au or by phone on 1800 422 737. Their office is located at 19 Welsford St, Shepparton.
